Ted Hand Retiring From WSOC After 46-Year TV Career

After more than four decades working to connect compelling TV programming with TV audiences, Ted Hand is retiring on June 1. Hand is the director of engineering and operations at WSOC, Cox Media Group’s ABC affiliation.

“Ted is a legend in the broadcast industry, and his contributions are unparalleled. His successor will fill some big shoes,” said Cedric Thomas, WSOC vice president and general manager. “Still, I couldn’t be happier for him. He’s been an exceptional leader, teammate, and a hugely valuable part of our broadcasts for decades. He’s earned this retirement.”

Hand has also been exceptionally reliable. He launched his career in 1978, and since then, Hand missed only 30 days of work. That commitment and steadfastness led to some impressive accomplishments, including:

• Earning election as the current President of the Society of Broadcast Engineers
• Winning CMG TV Engineer of the Year in 2015
• Becoming a fellow with the Society of Broadcast Engineers
• Earning two nominations for technical Emmys (Mid-South region)
• Successfully installing all eight transmitters for WSOC-WAXN
• Designing and managing the WAVY Norfolk, Va., studios

“It’s been a memorable ride,” Hand said recently. “I’ve had a lot of great experiences, such as covering the 2012 Democratic National Convention and the 1996 Olympics. And I’ve seen a lot of changes. From film to digital and from Mono Audio to Digital 7.1 Surround Sound. It’s amazing how important innovation has been to our industry.”

At the same time, so much has stayed the same, according to Hand.

“It’s still about understanding your audiences — what they want to hear and what they need to know,” Hand said. “And it’s about consistently providing compelling content that makes a positive difference in viewers’ lives. I took that mission and responsibility very seriously, and it’s what drove me and my teams to enable perfect broadcast transmissions as often as humanly possible.”

Hand will transfer his energy and commitment to personal passions in retirement. With his new-found free time, Hand plans to go surf fishing, continue woodworking, and keep volunteering with A/V at his church. He’ll continue as an American Red Cross driver and an Event Frequency Coordinator for the NFL at Carolina Panthers games.

“While I plan to relax and connect with my family and friends, I also want to continue making a positive difference for others around me,” Hand said. “I want to keep living a life of impact.”